Memory is one of the most limiting aspects of performance of modern enterprise computing systems. One limiting aspect of memory is the fact that many types of memory exhibit a limited lifetime. For example, a lifetime of non-volatile memory such as flash is reduced, albeit a small amount, each time it is erased and re-written. Over time and thousands of erasures and re-writes, such flash memory may become less and less reliable.
Thus, depending on the type of use (e.g. light vs. heavy), a lifetime of flash memory may vary widely. This can be problematic in various respects. For instance, flash memory manufacturers are often expected to provide a limited warranty for a specified amount of time. While such warranty may be sufficient for light to typical use of the flash memory, it may require the return and replacement of the flash memory in instances of heavy use (e.g. in an enterprise application, etc.).
Such situations may significantly impact profits of a flash memory manufacturer. In particular, the need to continuously replace warranted flash memory for heavy-use customers can considerably reduce profits derived from the sale of flash memory to light-to-typical-use customers. There is thus a need for addressing these and/or other issues associated with the prior art.